On October 16, online media outlet Netgazeti reported that Georgia’s participation in the Open Government Partnership has been suspended, which was confirmed to the outlet by the government administration. The administration said it received the notice of suspension today.
The suspension follows the government’s backsliding on its OGP commitments, and multiple calls from the local watchdogs to honor them. The OGP warned of Georgia of suspension in May this year during the process of adopting the reintroduced Law on Foreign Agents by the ruling Georgian Dream, and stressed that “continued disregard for OGP values and principles could also result in termination of membership in the Partnership.” In that statement, the organization gave the Georgian government 30 days to develop a work plan to address key concerns.
The Open Government Partnership was founded in 2011 within the UN General Assembly. Today, it has 75 member states and thousands of civil society organizations. Every two years, member states submit to the OGP an action plan, developed in collaboration with the civil sector, outlining specific government commitments. Georgia has been an OGP member since 2012 and a member of the Steering Committee since 2014. As of 2020, Georgia has implemented four action plans.
Also Read:
- 11/06/2024 – NGOs Leave OGP’s Inter-agency Coordination Council, Working Group Over Agents’ Law
- 25/12/2023 – Georgia’s OGP Council Endorses Fifth Open Governance Partnership Action Plan
- 04/05/2023 – Georgian Watchdogs Call for Triggering Response Procedure in Open Government Partnership
- 28/02/2023 – Georgia Slips in Open Government Commitments